Protecting and safety net for the anchorages of dirigibles



Feb. '21, 1928.

W. AUBERLIN PROTECTING AND SAFETY NET FOR THE A NCHORAGES 0F DIRIGIBLES Filed June 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR TTORNEY Feb. 21, 1928. W. AUBERLIN PROTECTING AND SAFETY NET FOR THE ANCHORAGES 0F DIRIGIBLES iled J ne 27. 927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY W 41.

V ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

PATENT? oFFrcE;

WILLIAM AUBERLIN, oF'NoRTHEiELD, OHIO.

PROTECTING AND SAFETY NET FOR THE ANCHORAGES OF IDIRIGIBLES.

Application filed June 27, 1927. Seria'1 No. -201;906

This invention relates to air-ship anchorages, and has an improvement on the addition to the anchorage shown in my U. S. Patent No. 1,629,197, dated May 17, 1927.

The object of the present invention is to provide a protecting or safety net for the anchorages of dirigibles, which will assist in mooring a ship to the anchorage and holding the same thereto after being moored, so that it will outride gales and be held firmly and in correct position.

As will be appreciated, the mooring of a dirigible balloon to a mast or anchorage is a matter of considerable dificulty particularly in a high wind. By means of the present invention the operation is assisted, and the front part of the airship will enter the net suspended on the anchorage, as it is drawn toward the mooring mast, and this net will serve to center and guide the air-ship to its proper position and to hold the same therein after it is made fast.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

In the drawings, 6 indicates a base on which is mounted a turn table 7 and a V shaped wind shield 8 behind which is the mooring mast 9. A cable 10 extends from a winding drum 11' over guide pulleys up through the mast and over a pulley 12 at the top, and in mooring a ship this cable will 5 be run out a sufficient distance to be hooked to the nose of the ship. These parts are substantially the same as shown in my patent before referred to.

The present invention comprises a ring shaped net consisting of two sections 13 and 14 connected to a large relatively rigid ring 15. The outer section 13 has a rather large or wide spread. The inner end section 14 is of proper shape and size to fit the barrel or front part of the balloon rather closely. These nets are spread or stretched by means of the plurality of cables 16 connected thereto at opposite sides and running over guide pulleys 17 to winches or pulling devices 18 mounted on the turntable. The pulleys 17 are supported by booms or Outriggers l9 which diverge from the wings of the wind shield 8 to which they are fastened as shown at 20, and the outer ends are braced by stays 21 connected to struts 22 and to the wings of the wind shield. Any suitable system of bracing may be employed.

The operation is as follows:

As the airship approaches the anchorage the cable 10 will be laid out through the net for a distance of approximately one thousand feet, and the end of said cable 10-is hooked to the cable 10 suspended from and fastened to the nose of the airship. To assist in properly guiding the bow of the ship into the net there is provided a cable or rope 23 which is fastened to the stern of the ship and another cable or rope 23 which is fastened to the bow of the ship, both of which hang suspended from the ship; furthermore, there are cables or ropes 24 and 24' which are fastened to the ring 15 and which are suspended to the ground and which serve to enable the land crew to hold in check the tension of said ring 15 while the bow of the ship is being directed into the net. The cable 10 is wound in and the bow of the airship will enter the net and passing into the same will distend' it until the ring 15 and section 14 fit the nose closely, and as it continues to be drawn in the cables 16 will be tightened, and at last the net and all the cables will be drawn taut and the mooring cable being made fast the airship will take its position directly behind the wind shield andthe net will serve to retain it in that position under all conditions, and will to a large extent prevent whipping or pitching of the ship in high or shifting winds. As will be understood the turn table will swing to keep the point of the wind shield into the wind.

The device will be found particularly useful in assisting the mooring of a ship under unfavorable wind conditions. Various changes may be made in the apparatus within the scope of the invention.

I'claim:

1. The combination with a wind shield mounted on a turn table and provided with a mooring mast and cable, of an annular net supported by the wind shield, behind the mast, and adapted to receive the bow of a dirigible moored to the mast.

2. The combination stated in claim 1, the not being supported by booms projecting rearWardly from the Wings of the Wind net having a section adapted to closely fit around the bow of the dirigible.

4. The combination stated in claim 1, the net having an inner section adapted to closely lit the bow of the dirigible, and'an outer flaring section leading thereto.

'5. The combination stated in claim 1, the net having an inner section to fit the bow of a dirigible, an outer flaring section, and an intermediate comparatively r1g1d sectlon.

6. The combination stated in claim 1, the

supporting means for the net including 15 booms projecting from the Wind shield, and cables connected to the net, the outer ends of the booms being provided With pulleys over which the cables pass.

In testimony whereof,

ture.

WILLIAM AUBERLIN.

I do afiix my signa- 20 

